Well, if something is going to get me to write on this blog it’s a significant cultural film event. Not since Avengers endgame have I heard cinematic excitement. Screens selling out everywhere (even other films such as Mission impossible getting a boost). Did Spiderman save cinema, or did it take a couple of bombshells? So, Ken shirt in tow, I summoned the council of mum, dad, sister and aunt to London to join me for the double bill, with a mixture of attitudes around which film to be hyped for. Naturally, I was hyped for both.

Our day started with a screening of Oppenheimer, the new film from Christopher Nolan about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist who lead the creation of the atomic bomb, looking at his meeting of scientists, the town he built and the impacts of the bomb on him.

The film is essentially split into three parts. the first part is about Oppenheimer’s education. Sure, this bit is relevant, but also Nolan at his coldest and most time-jumpy. It’s very on brand for him, as he gives you little to invest in the character for. It is important in the third act, as his communist links come back to bite him, but could’ve been shorter. However, once we get going into the second act, the creation of the bomb, the film really gets going. You’re introduced to a smorgasbord of scientists you’ve never heard of (apart from the breaking bad guy and Einstein). We watch the team try to come up with something before the Germans and then the Russians. The third act after dropping the bomb sees Oppenheimer’s internal struggle and battle with politicians about how to use the bomb. This bit is also rather jumpy as it turns into more of a courtroom drama (or two courtroom dramas), however the bits which focus on Oppenheimer’s emotional state are where it shines.

Naturally being a Nolan film, it does remain cold, but it also has big fancy effects. A big booming soundtrack and explosions are enough for your film bro to enjoy. There is a moment in the film where they test a bomb. The explosion was so loud the cinema vibrated, almost providing a level of clarity and immersion I haven’t felt. It shook me, leading to a next 15 minutes of feeling like Cillian Murphy.

Speaking of Murphy, the man with the most Irish sounding name for a Jewish character (an important part of his motivations), this man can act. His gaunt face dealing with the struggles of war, his eyes showing every struggle. It was a case of acting well as the character, without any need to be melodramatic. It was natural and it really worked.

The set design was also top notch, and despite being three hours, the film never really felt that long, instead keeping a good pace and bit of intrigue. The editing was great, as was the cinematography. the 20 minutes between the test bomb and reaction to the real bombs were some of the best cinema I’ve seen in a long time. Despite this, the film most certainly had flaws, and I’m not just talking about the worst film sex scene known to man.

Firstly, the female characters, including Oppenheimer’s two wives all felt like extras and nothing more, even Emily Blunt whose character felt way more important. Nolan doesn’t write women where he can avoid it, and somehow did here (Maybe the anti-patriachial Barbie got to me). The focus on Robert Downey Jr’s Strauss over himself during the black and white sections was also less interesting. It explained what happened to Oppenheimer, but from a cold distance. While the distance works at times to show the cold calculated scientist needed for such a project, it does come with a barrier against warming to the character, instead it’s like being at a zoo.

The last thing I want to discuss is a mention around the criticism of not seeing the impact of the bomb on Japan. While the criticism is valid, it’s also important to consider that this is from Oppenheimer’s perspective. We go in with our view, but are there to see his. This movie isn’t the platform to discuss the impacts. Japanese films such as the incredible “Grave of the Fireflies” will give more respect to those victims of war than an American film could. You see the celebrations but know the dissonance in your mind, leading to almost a sense of panic felt also by Oppenheimer and in my mind that’s one of the film’s strengths. You feel his isolation as only he sees the big picture, leading to that cold last scene.

Oppenheimer is a fantastic blockbuster which looks and sounds incredible, telling a difficult story about a character in a fairly cool and calculated way. Despite this approach, Cillian Murphy really shines brining this character to life. Oppenheimer is an essential big screen film.

So after feeling down about the bomb, it was time to go to the pink palace of the Barbie movie. Based on the famous toy, I was very excited to see a new film by indie juggernaut Greta Gerwig of Labybird fame.

Barbie Land is a magical place which exists separately from the real world. Here, everything is great. Barbies can do anything they want to and they know they’ve inspired young girls to do whatever they want and to rule the world. They thrive and party. Meanwhile, Kens just want to be Barbies boyfriends, particularly Ryan Gosling’s Ken who has a rivalry with another Ken. One day, Barbie gets existential and thinks about dying. To sort this out, she goes to the real world where she finds that women aren’t in charge and she discovers the patriarchy, as does Ken who embraces this new way of living to comedic effect, believing as he’s a man he can do anything. From here, the film becomes a loud proud feminist manifesto (or a womanisfesto for fans of a portmanteau)

At a high level I liked this film, however I didn’t quite love it. Let’s talk about the good things first though because there were plenty of good things. Firstly, it was a pretty funny movie. Most of the jokes land, and I was chuckling throughout, as these ridiculous characters were put into such silly situations. The opening scene would’ve been my favourite ever if it wasn’t already in a trailer (The OTT marketing certainly ruined many of the best moments). As well as some fun gags for everyone, there were a number of PG gags. Most of the humour would’ve gone over the heads of young children, with this film being aimed at those slightly older.

The film didn’t really try to hide the shortcomings of Barbie dolls, showing some of the things Mattel did wrong and the negative impacts of perfect stereotypical Barbie. It was smart there as well as passionate about what it wanted to say.

Margot Robbie was expectedly great, however the star of the show was Ryan Gosling who played a fun and simple character who had a level of hurt in him. He had the best lines and his deliveries and expressions were all brilliant. Switching from dope to antagonist in a light way really allowed him to mess around and not take himself seriously.

The throwback costumes were all executed brilliantly with love and passion, while the set design which caused a global shortage of pink paint was also top notch. They made this film the way they wanted to, not taking short cuts.

The film, for all its hype is by no means perfect though. Gerwig seemed to have a lot of gags and jokes she wanted to make for her film, with a strong message. Unfortunately, this tended to leave the plot lacking as at times it seemed clear this was not a priority, instead an attempt at a cult film. Random gags were scatter gunned only to be awkwardly referred back to later on, losing the tightness that gerwig’s other films have been known for. Remember how Barbie was meant to go and save the woman who was struggling in the real world? Neither does the plot.

The ending as well felt a bit rushed, while also failing to bring home the key points. Sure, it may have allowed for some character growth, but there were some really odd decisions which ended up leaving it feeling rushed. There were a couple of other issues which I won’t go into due to spoilers. The film lacks nuance, which is fine, however that maybe prevents it from discussing the impact of barbie on society at that more personal level.

Despite its flaws however, Barbie remains an unapologetically fun and memorable film. With actors on top form and exciting technical achievements in production, soundtrack and costumes, it’s by no means one to avoid. It’s just lacking that narrative refinement which would have made it a film for the ages.